This is an examination of popular and traditional forms of parliamentary accountability. It investigates the role of UK and European courts and inquiries in the system of legal and quasi-legal accountability. With concepts such as the enabling, contracting and regulatory state coming to the fore, there are extensive implications for accountability and control within government. This text examines those implications and is aimed at students and lecturers involved in undergraduate and degree- level programmes covering government, politics, public policy, public administration and management. It also explores the rise of charterism and consumerism and their effectiveness, and analyzes key cases such as Westland and Matrix Churchill to illustrate the effectiveness of "realpolitik" and secrecy in thwarting official mechanisms of scrutiny and control.
The Parameters of Accountability Popular Accountability Parliamentary Accountability Legal and Quasi-Legal Accountability Accountability in Local Government and the NHS Accountability in the Utilities Charterism and Consumerism Conclusion - the Limits of Accountability
Dr Robert Pyper is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Law and Public Administration at Glasgow Caledonian University.